Window Rot and How to Spot It

By now, you may have settled into this working from home lifestyle: the kids are attending school on-screen, you might be spending half your day on Zoom meetings rather than in-person meetings, and since you’re home all the time, you might be noticing things that you may have otherwise let slip by.

Now that spring has arrived, the annual task of spring cleaning is likely to begin soon, making it the perfect time to inspect a few things around your house. Window rot is one thing you simply don’t want going untreated, so here are a few helpful tips on how to spot it.

Tip: Look at every window (and door) in your house, especially in rooms you do not use regularly.

What is window rot?

As is usually the case in homeownership, moisture is not a good thing for windows. If moisture has the opportunity to penetrate a solid wood or wood clad window frame, the wood can – and will – rot.

Tip: Don’t forget to look at your windows on the exterior too.

How do you know if it’s rotted?

Rotted window frames will either look bad or feel bad – or both. What do we mean by that? A solid, healthy window frame is sturdy and strong. You can touch the wood and feel how solid it is. Once rot is present, it will actually be soft – almost mushy. Paint might chip or peel around the area. You may even find mold.

How do I look for window rot?

It’s really not as daunting a task as you may imagine. Take a good look around each of your windows. Push on the wooden part and make sure it’s solid. If you feel anything soft, mushy, or bubbly, it might be time to replace that window. Make sure you open the windows and look underneath them. For more on this, watch our YouTube video where Ann shows you how to check with a pocket mirror to be sure everything is properly painted and rot isn’t present.

How do I prevent rot next time?

Make sure when your windows are installed they are properly painted everywhere, including the tops and bottoms. Anywhere water can creep is a spot that could become rotted.